SE potners harassing seals group

A group of us from here on the SE of good old Blighty thread have organised a weekend to go shooting seals at Donna Nook. I have created this thread so we can keep all our ideas in one place as opposed to getting lost in the main thread.

21st is getting very close now and I am now starting to wonder if I have enough kit and waterproofs as well as getting quite excited.

Good one Adrian, I was wondering wether a thread for this should be started or not. I'm so excited about this trip and my ONLY hope is that the weather is good

Will have the sigmonster ready and looking forward to using it. I'll only take 2 lenses myself. Its quite a bit of trekking so I want to keep the gear as light as I can.... yes i know the sigma weighs a tonne lol

I ordered your gloves today Adrian - they should hopefully be here next Tuesday. Mine havent come through yet so i cant tell you how good they are or not, but i am quitely confident that they will be ace.

Kaben wrote in post #8991601
I ordered your gloves today Adrian - they should hopefully be here next Tuesday. Mine havent come through yet so i cant tell you how good they are or not, but i am quitely confident that they will be ace.

Rob

If they are "the bees" what are the chances of getting more in time for the 20th i.e. when we go up??? If so how do we go about sizing correctly and indeed any feedback on the price?

They will be about £16, but i wont be able to give feedback on quality until i have had mine arrive - hopefully tomorrow.

Adrian lucked out as i managed to add his gloves just in time to an order that was placed yesterday (whilst i was off). Im now not sure if i will be able to get any more before Donna Nook. Next order is on Monday - I can try and make an order for you then and express to them that its urgent but i cant be sure that it will arrive in time as it all come from Sweden

Sizing wise, i wear an XL in Lindstrands gloves and wear a size 9 in most other types of glove. Not sure if you can extrapolate from that at all?

Sorry Laurence, but i will try my best for you!

Adam I am keeping everything crossed for the weather as well. I think you are going to look like a bodybuilder at the end of the weekend that Sigma is huge

My gear list is as follows

Waterproof jacket and trousers x 2
Pair of wellies and walking boots
Torch
Lowepro backpack and waistbag
Thermals
Couple of fleeces
beannie hat
gloves x 2
Flask
coffee


Camera equipment

40D & spare batteries
100-400
90mm tamron macro
17-40
memory cards and spares
Tripod
monopod
Beanbag and cat litter tray to use as a tray ( has bigger lip if I want to put bits in it )
binoculars
Uv filter for all lenses
lens cleaning liquid and cloth
Flash and triggers ( never know when you need them )
Op tech sleeves and another ( make escapes me )
Spare batteries for everything

couple of things I originally forgot which are quite important imo bin liners ( strong ones ) and gaffer tape
Maps and directions to hotel and to and fro where we will be meeting on Saturday

If anyone can see anything I have forgotten tell me!! I have seen a 300 f4 is for sale which I am trying very hard to forget about....you can resist anything but temptation.......

Kaben wrote in post #8991846
They will be about £16, but i wont be able to give feedback on quality until i have had mine arrive - hopefully tomorrow.

Adrian lucked out as i managed to add his gloves just in time to an order that was placed yesterday (whilst i was off). Im now not sure if i will be able to get any more before Donna Nook. Next order is on Monday - I can try and make an order for you then and express to them that its urgent but i cant be sure that it will arrive in time as it all come from Sweden

Sizing wise, i wear an XL in Lindstrands gloves and wear a size 9 in most other types of glove. Not sure if you can extrapolate from that at all?

Sorry Laurence, but i will try my best for you!

I will have to see what size my 'normal' gloves say inside them???

As for the time frame ~ yes, a pity. I may have to look at Snowbee's when I go to the local fishing tackle shop for some welly socks. Trust me to leave some things to the last minute........though I do have two pairs of gloves but not that right for camera handling???

I see Adrian is saying jacket & trousers x2 ~ I wonder if that is x 2 both the jacket & the trousers??? In respect of the sandbank walkout and time out there do we know what "they" do if it raining such to preclude going out to the sandbank? It is one thing to tog in squally showers quite another to go to an exposed location is suspect weather!

I am sure/hoping that any water/weather proof gear I buy will dry out as needed overnight. But for sure need to take enough pairs of jeans & shirts for the "close the skin" and evening changes ~ sorry to state the obvious

Good list Adrian, we are getting some serious logistics going now

Lawrence, im as guilty as you for leaving this to the last minute re: gloves and i apologise. For what its worth those SnowBees actually look very nice. I may have to investigate those as well!

So far i think i still need:

tray
sort out UV filters (good call)
need to find my wellies
check flash / transmitter batteries
looking into a monopod.

oh and i need a gas canister for my jetboil stove.

Not as bad as i thought!

Here is a post of someone who has just been to Donna Nook, some great pictures

Rob the only thing I think I need to buy is the litter tray and I still need to waterproof my beanbag.

I also need to get some waterproofing spray for my beanbag.

Ref: a tray ~ I am in two minds about this as I have my LinPix groundsheet that I hope to settle myself down on. So not sure how much crawling about will need to be or be desirable to be done???

IMO there are a few unknowns as to how the day(s) will go in regard to getting to the sandbank & each of us selecting a spot - I surmise it is best advised to settle down so the seals are not disturbed by us moving about a lot - and just waiting for what goes on within each of spheres of image capture.

For frame filling, I hope with the 400mm end of the 100-400 we will need to be reasonably close so such settled position will allow the seals to also calm down following our arrival.....????

As for last minute buying well for me that does tend to be par for the course just need more time in the day/week to do everything

adrian5127 wrote in post #8992609
Here is a post of someone who has just been to Donna Nook, some great pictures

Rob the only thing I think I need to buy is the litter tray and I still need to waterproof my beanbag.

Nice images the other guy got, I have posted on that thread

that guy reckoned 600mm was overkill so 400mm sounds OK. I'm bring both x2 and x1.4 extenders for the 300mm just incase.

I have 2 sets of waterproofs and a poncho.

Gloves is my only issue. I have my old flying gloves which are great but they are leather and not going to dry out over night I am sure!

Did a test run in my new wellies last night, thermals, trousers, socks and waterproofs, great fit. My camo jacket isn't that waterproof but will use that over my wwaterproof for rolling around the beach on.
Plastic tray is a good idea indeed!

Good idea with the thread.
I'll also put a list together, it helps to remind me how poorly I have perpared!

I still need a beanbag/tray, and some kind of floor material.
I have motorcycle gloves, btu there not really good for photography!

I do 'somehwere' have some Lowepro gloves, which are good for keeping the cold out, but will be hopeless if they get soaking wet..

I can't see the images in the other post from work, but look forward to looking tonight.

Very handy to get feedback from someone who was recently there..

Oh Ian, I'm planning on doing 1/2 day now on the Friday, should make things easier.

ies photos wrote in post #8995338
that guy reckoned 600mm was overkill so 400mm sounds OK. I'm bring both x2 and x1.4 extenders for the 300mm just incase.

I have 2 sets of waterproofs and a poncho.

Gloves is my only issue. I have my old flying gloves which are great but they are leather and not going to dry out over night I am sure!

Did a test run in my new wellies last night, thermals, trousers, socks and waterproofs, great fit. My camo jacket isn't that waterproof but will use that over my wwaterproof for rolling around the beach on.
Plastic tray is a good idea indeed!

Ian where did you get your poncho from, I was thinking of one as that would go over my backpack if we get geally bad weather